Guam Women Warriors

GUAM WOMEN WARRIORS

Humanities Guåhan is developing an oral history and online exhibit project entitled GUAM WOMEN WARRIORS that focuses on women currently serving in the military and those who have returned to civilian life. By sharing their stories, perspectives and realities, and through hearing their voices, the goal of the project is to deepen the community’s understanding of women’s military and wartime experiences, as well as what it is like to come home

PEER-TO-PEER BASED: Service women and veterans are trained to collect and transcribe their own oral history narratives. The rich stories and profound conversations come to life through a peer-to-peer exchange.

ONLINE EXHIBIT: Narratives and images document and reflect their stories of service and sacrifice.

PUBLIC PROGRAMS: Film and discussion events and a civic reflection conversation series will augment the online exhibit.

Humanities Guåhan worked with scholar Laurel Monnig, PhD to conduct the initial oral history workshops with several service women and veterans in May 2015. Dr. Monnig carried out ethnographic fieldwork and research on Guam in the 1990’s, investigating how Chamorros negotiate with US colonialism, militarization, racial ideologies, and activism.

GUAM WOMEN WARRIORS is presented as part of Standing Together, an initiative of the National Endowment of the Humanities to encourage humanities programs that focus on the history, experience, or meaning of war and military service. Standing Together recognizes the importance of the humanities in helping citizens to understand the experiences of service members as they return to civilian life.

The project is made possible through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and local support from TakeCare Foundation®, Hilton Guam Resort and Spa, Payless Car Rental, and the University of Guam.